Tube-cleaning tool



Sept 15, 192s.

C. M. GRIFFIN TUBE CLEANING TOOL F1106 NOV. l, 1921 sig Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

y cEcIL emr-rm, or PITTSBURGH, rENNsYLVaNIr..

TUBEfcLnANiNG rooL.

Application Vfiled November' 1. 1921. Serial No. 512,091.

To all whom t concern.: ,i Be it known that I, CEGIL M. Giurrima citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Alleghenyand State of Pennsylvania.,f have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Tube- Cleaning Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for a tool of the general type shown in my United Statesv Letters Patent No. 1,280,443, dated October-1, i918,

forl cleaning tubes, particularly tubes in steam condensers or the like.

Tools constructed in accordancewith my invention Vare especially adapted for use in a method of cleaning, wherein the cleaners `are forcedl through the tubes by fluid p ressure, andthe invention has for its principal objects to provide a tool' or` cleaner having effective scraping blades thereon which are both strong and flexible, wherebysthey may yield 'to conform 'tof irregularities in the tubes, and are Yless liable' to become caught or hung on any such irregularities. i Y

Further `objects are to provide Scrapers which willhavea relative long life and arc capable of withstanding theyrough usage to which tools of this kind are subjected,

To these ends my invention consists, gen-` erally stated, of a number of -yieldable scrapers Vmounted on a central body member, the Scrapers being so formed andso mounted on the central body member as to give them the desired strength, flexibility, and effectiveness, as hereinafter more specilically described in connection with the vaccompanying drawings, in which:

Flg. 1 is a side elevation of a tube cleaner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front end view thereof; Fig. 3 shows a rear end viewthereof;

Fig. 4 shows a tube, partly Vin section and vpartly in elevation, showing a Vportion of `the tool therein to illustrate the manner of Secured one: behind another aboutv the body member 'fare the Scrapers. These. comprise a series vof spaced apart helical coils 8 of springmetal closely fitting about the body 5. The metal from which the coils are madev is preferably square or noneii lar in cross section, so as to provide corners for effectively scraping the material from tubes. Each coil or helix preferably has more than one complete turn. The front end of the coils are bent inwardly to engage Vin a hole or recess in the body 5, whereby the coils are held against longitudinal or rotative movement von the body 5 and in proper spaced relation. The other end of `the coil is bentoutwardly at 9 insuch manner that theV endfportion` 10 is held away from the body' a sufficient distance to contact withthe walls of a tube of a diameter which the tool isconstructed and designed to clean. This portion 10 curves to conform ysubstantially to the interior of atube of a (given diameter. The recesses in which the ends of the coils are secured are staggered Y or offset from each other so that the scraping portions Vl0 are not all in alinement, but are distributed `so that the body will be centered in the tube and the entire inner surface of the tube cleaned. Figs. 2 and 3 of' the'drawings show how the portions l0 project at all sides, the ends apparently overlapping.

When. it is desired to clean a tube, the cleaner is forced or pushed into kone end of the tube by an operator, the front endbeing inserted first. Then a nozzle is held against the end of the tube and the tool is driven through the tube byuid pressure, preferablywater or air, provided through the nozzle. Upon reaching the other endof the tube, the tool falls out and may be again Y used. In cleaning a condenser, a large number of the tools are employed, so that the different tubes of a condenser may be cleaned in ra id succession the tools after assinv 7 C through the tube falling into a heap or pile Where they are gathered and kreturned to the operator. Instead of being driven through the tubes by fluid pressure,a rod of sulicient length may be employed to push them through, The tools are rugged yand durable, and are not readily injured by such rough handling and usage. n

In passing through the tube, the portions 10 of the coils scrape against the interior walls thereof. If irregularities are encountered which the tool could not otherwiseV pass, or which it cannot remove, the end portion l0 will yield, being forced inward radially and spread longitudinally as indicated in Fig. 4, in which A is a tube. In this figure, the end portions l() are shown so displaced as to enable the tool to pass irregularities, and the Scrapers are not apt to be injured. Because the scrapers 8 are in the form of a coil having more than one, and preferably almosttwo complete convolutions, the portion l0 is enabled to be displaced to a greater' extent when an irregularity is encountered.` The portion of the spring contacting with the body being of substantially the same diameter as the body, it sets firmly on the body thus holding the scraping portion out against the surface to be cleaned, the coil itself not being able to move radially to any appreciable extent.

Tools constructed inaccordance with my invention can be cheaplyl and easily made and repaired, the scrapers 8 being replaceable.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the specific form of invention shown without departing from the spirit ot my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tube cleaning tool comprising a body member having a'plurality of spaced apart yieldable scrapers arranged one behind an-` other thereon, said Scrapers being formed of helical coils closely fitting the body and secured thereto, a portion of the coils vbeing bent outwardly to yieldablyengage a tube.

2. A tool for cleaning tubes upon being passed through the same comprising4 helical coils fitted closely about a central body member and arranged one behind another thereon, scrapers formed at and integral with the rear ends of said coils, the front ends ot the coils being attached to the body.

3. A tool for cleaning tubes upon being passed through the same comprising a body having'helical coils iitting closely about a centralbody member and arranged one behind another thereon, said body having a plurality of holes therein, each of said coils being'provided at one end with a scraper and having its other end bent inwardly to engage a` hole in said body member to prevent the coil from moving along or around the body member.

4l.V A tube cleaning tool comprising a central body member, a plurality of resilient coils mounted on the body and longitudinally spaced from one another, said coils fitting relatively close to thefbody, said coils having corresponding parts thereof bent outwardly beyond the diameter of the remaining portions of the coils to form a relatively small scraping surface, said coils being so arranged on the body that the scraping portions of the series of coils will form in effeet an annular scraping surface, so that the closely about the body and secured thereon against relative movement, the end portion fof each of the coils being oiset to yieldingly engage a tube when being passed therethrough. y

In testimony whereof l aliX my signature.

CECIL M. GRIFFIN. 

